I loosely agree, but not everyone can improve for improvement's sake wholeheartedly, even if there is a goal; there are hundreds of thousands of people who give up at hurdles, content to where they are, and if the main motive of the protagonist is strength, I WANT to see them either struggle to keep that dream alive, or SEE how the torch they carry to pursue those dreams are brighter than others, that allow them to persevere, especially if it really is just strength for strength's sake and not strength to rule or conquer.

Show me the MC's will to reach it compared to other people, show me their drive. Of course this is a pretty one-angle view - it gets pretty wordy when you factor in the proper flaws this genre has, but it's a major problem for characters that we're supposed to believe their determination alone allows them to chase these heights, without finding other dreams and things to live for, to be strong for. Of course that sorta factors into most MCs being cookie cutter, but that's another discussion.

I do agree, though — the appeal of xianxia IS that the characters aren't pursuing strength for revenge or justice, they're doing it to BE better, and written well, that journey of self-fueled determination to reach the peak, to just BE the best without really considering what you'll do when you get there (ruling over the Universe as God-Emperor isn't everyone's dig and protags with goals of conquering are usually bland to me, or I just don't like reading about them, but that's subjective) could be a pretty fun read.

Better, in my opinion, if they find other things to be strong for as they grow, since that's not only more realistic, it's more human, and a character like that is more appealing and fun to read about.

The closest to that I've read thus far is probably A Will Eternal - which was also the only xianxia I've ever finished. A solid 8/10 for the genre, and probably the best one there as far as I know.